MLB.com's Greg Johns blogs about the Mariners. You can also follow him on Twitter @gregjohnsmlb.

Peguero gets first start this afternoon

Eric Wedge is wasting no time getting Carlos Peguero in the lineup as the big rookie is penciled in at left field for today’s 12:40 p.m. start against Detroit right-hander Rick Porcello.

Wedge is giving Milton Bradley the day off after a night game and going with the 6-5, 247-pound Peguero, a 24-year-old with a lot of pop. The challenge for Peguero will be making contact at this level. He struck out 178 times in 488 at-bats last year in Double-A West Tenn and 172 times in 491 at-bats the year before at Class A High Desert.

Peguero was hitting well in the first dozen games at Tacoma this season and now makes his first Major League start after being called up Tuesday to take the roster spot created by Justin Smoak going on the bereavement list.

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